A wide variety of different products are commonly sold in containers, particularly containers with round necks which define the dispensing portal. In this regard, numerous constructions have been created for closing the dispensing portal. In particular, products such as vinegar, vegetable oils, laboratory liquids, detergents, honey, condiments, spices, alcoholic beverages, and the like, impose similar requirements on the type and construction of the closure means being used for the containers within which these products are retained.
One product which imposes the most demanding requirements on a bottle closure is wine, due to the unique sealing requirements needed for preserving and maintaining the flavor of the wine while stored in the bottle. Presently, wine bottle closures or stoppers are constructed from a range of material formed from cork, synthetic plastic materials, fillers, bonding agents and combinations thereof.
Although cork, which is a natural product, has been widely used as the source for most wine bottle closures, cork material is a limited resource which is becoming increasingly difficult to harvest in sufficient quantities to meet the ever growing demands. Furthermore, irregularities in the cork's structure due to geographic, climate, and ecological reasons, cause many quality grades to exist in the harvested product. This creates a complex categorization of qualities and standards. In addition, it is estimated that 1% to 5% of all bottled wine is spoiled by cork taint.
Another problem commonly found with natural cork is leaking bottles. Typically, the lack of tightness between the cork and the neck of the bottle causes 10% to 20% of bottle leakage. However, the majority of wine leakage is caused by passage of the wine through the cork's body. These problems are most often found with lower quality cork material, which is typically porous, too soft, out of round, or out of the established specifications.
In order to avoid some of the difficulties encountered with the use of cork closures, bottlers have developed various coatings, such as paraffins, silicones, and polymer materials, in an attempt to ease the movement of the cork into and out of the bottle, as well as to improve the permeability of the cork and fill imperfections in the cork surface. However, no ideal cork coating product has been developed to protect a wine corking member from all of the inherent difficulties or drawbacks of the material.
The majority of wine containing bottles are currently being sold with natural cork stoppers. However, due to the inherent problems existing with natural cork, other products have been developed to seal liquid bearing containers, such as wine bottles. The principal alternate material presently being employed for sealing wine bottles comprises synthetic plastic material, typically a thermoplastic material. In addition, due to the increasing difficulties and quality control problems inherent with cork material, wine bottlers are employing closures formed of synthetic plastic material in ever increasing quantities.
Regardless of the material employed for forming closures or stoppers for wine bottles, one of the principal difficulties to which any bottle closure is subjected is the manner in which the closure is inserted into the wine bottle. Typically, the closure is placed in a jaw clamping member positioned above the bottle portal. The clamping member incorporates a plurality of separate and independent jaw members which peripherally surround the closure member and are movable relative to each other to compress the closure member to a diameter substantially less than its original diameter. Once the closure member has been fully compressed, a plunger moves the closure means from the jaws directly into the neck of the bottle, wherein the closure member expands into engagement with the interior diameter of the bottle neck and portal, thereby sealing the bottle and the contents thereof.
During the process of inserting the closure into the portal of the wine bottle, it has been found that a friction reducing coating usually must be applied to the outer surface of the closure or stopper in order to enable the stopper to be fully inserted into the neck of the bottle. Typically, if a friction reducing coating is not applied to the surface of the closure or stopper, the stopper expands immediately upon exiting the jaws and frictionally engages the surface of the bottle neck prior to being completely inserted into the wine bottle.
In most applications, the friction reducing coating comprises one selected from the group consisting of paraffins, silicones, and other similar compositions which provide the desired friction reduction to the surface of the closure, while also being capable of being easily applied and retained on the outer surface of the closure. In addition, regardless of the composition of the wine bottle closure or stopper, the use of a friction reducing material is generally required.
It has also been found that the compression of the closure during the insertion process causes oxygen which has been trapped inside the cells of the closure to be released into the head space of the wine. As a result, free sodium dioxide in the head space is significantly reduced, causing a substantial negative effect on the storage shelf life of the wine.
Due to the unique characteristics of wine and the wide variety of environmental and chemical interactions which affect the taste, fragrance, and bouquet of wine products, the construction of closures employed in the wine industry have received significant attention. In this regard, in addition to forming synthetic closures for wine bottles with numerous chemical additives retained therein or applied to the outer surface of the closure, substantial attention has also been directed to sealing the ends of the closure with a separate material or coating in order to control the transfer of desirable chemicals, compounds, and/or gases through the closure for enhancing the wine product as well as preventing the transfer of undesirable chemicals, compounds, and/or gases through the closure for reducing or eliminating wine degradation.
In this regard, many prior art synthetic closures have been constructed with various end caps or sealing material affixed to the terminating end of the closure for being positioned inside the wine bottle. However, although substantial attention has been paid to the construction of viable end caps or sealing members, no prior art product has been capable of achieving a construction which is capable of eliminating all of the difficulties encountered in the wine industry.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a closure or stopper for liquid bearing containers, particularly wine bottles, which completely seals the product within the container while also enhancing the quality, taste, bouquet, and flavor of the wine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a synthetic closure/stopper having the characteristic features described above which prevents leakage of the product from the container, while also preventing unwanted exchange of undesirable chemicals, compounds, and/or gases through the terminating end of the closure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a synthetic closure/stopper having the characteristic features described above which promotes and enhances the transfer or exchange of desirable chemicals, compounds, and/or gases through the terminating end of the closure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a synthetic closure/stopper having the characteristic features described above and comprises a terminating end positioned within the bottle which incorporates a multi-layer film bonded thereto for enhancing the construction of the closure/stopper and improving the quality of the wine product contained therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a synthetic closure/stopper having the characteristic features described above which can be mass produced on a continuous basis and eliminates any spoilage of wine due to cork taint.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.